2007 Summer Movie Preview: August

It's August, and summer's dog days are officially here, both in and
out of your local movie theater. Though August does contain some notable
high-profile releases (including "The Bourne Ultimatum" and
Rob Zombie's surprisingly cool-looking "Halloween" reboot),
you've also got Disney's inexplicable "Underdog" and the sure-to-be-wretched
"Bratz: The Movie." For a more in-depth look at how the studios
will be sending us into the fall, read on below.

The Pitch: The amnesiac killing machine known as Jason
Bourne (Damon) goes on a global ass-kicking rampage in an effort to
find out who he was before he lost his memory.The Buzz: The first installment in Damon's "Bourne"
trilogy ruled. So did the second one. Call us crazy, but we're expecting
more of the same for the third.Trailer Highlight: The action scenes, of course, which
is just another way of saying "all of it."Bottom Line: Before "The Bourne Identity,"
people snickered at the idea of Damon as an action star, and were lining
up to see Ben Affleck in "Daredevil." Things change, you know?
We're just saying.Official Site: http://www.thebourneultimatum.com/

The Pitch: Yes, it's a live-action version of the
old cartoon, featuring a real, CGI-enhanced dog. Can't imagine who asked
for this? Yeah, we can't either.The Buzz: The odds of suckage are indeed perilously
high. Let us not discount, however, the involvement of Jason Lee as
the voice of Underdog.Trailer Highlight: "So...you're a cat burglar,
huh?" Bottom Line: Pretty cool poster, no?Official Site: http://www.disney.com/underdog

The Pitch: Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's
a movie about toys; specifically, scantily-clad dolls marketed to tweener
girls. If you've got a bone to pick with the folks who market thongs
and makeup to ten-year-olds, then this is not for you.The Buzz: There's something in here about BFFs and
peer pressure, blah blah blah, but honestly, the bottom line is that
this is 90 minutes of product placement. We won't be the ones who have
to break the news to your daughters, however. Best of luck to you.Trailer Highlight: None available.Bottom Line: You won't want to see it. You might have
to anyway.Official Site: N/A

The Pitch: Chan and Tucker re-team for the third installment
in Ratner's hugely successful (at least as of 1998) buddy-cop series,
this time taking the action to Paris.The Buzz: We're sure there are some people who are
excited about "Rush Hour 3," but we haven't been able to find
them anywhere; the prevailing reaction to this seems to be a shrug and
a yawn. Chan's got an almost inexhaustible supply of goodwill among
action fans, but Tucker's star has cooled considerably since the last
"Rush Hour," and even when these movies were hot, they were
still, at heart, a poor man's "Lethal Weapon."Trailer Highlight: None available.Bottom Line: If it looks like a dud, and it smells
like a dud...Official Site: http://www.rushhourmovie.com/

The Pitch: We're not entirely sure, to be honest. There's
something in here about a falling star, a doofy kid who wants to win
his girlfriend's love, a witch, and a pirate, with plenty of special
effects to go around.The Buzz: Were it not for the fact that this is being
adapted from a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman, we'd be extremely suspicious,
dazzling trailer or no -- but we trust Gaiman, and this looks like it
has just the right blend of action, fantasy hooey, and knowing comedy
to make it work.Trailer Highlight: Gervais trying to sell Pfeiffer
a two-faced dog.Bottom Line: Like a little cosmic adventure mixed in
with your popcorn butter? Check this one out.Official Site: http://www.stardustmovie.com/

The Pitch: In the winter of 1998, a group of "Star
Wars"-obsessed guys drives across the country to honor their friend's
dying wish by breaking into George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch to steal an
early cut of "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace."The Buzz: Could be funny, in a "Meatballs"
sort of way...but it could also be horrible, in a "Meatballs 3"
sort of way. The presences of Billy Dee Williams and Carrie Fisher would
seem to tip this toward not sucking, if only slightly.Trailer Highlight: The Shatner cameo. Always the Shatner
cameo. Bottom Line: Do enough people still give enough of
a shit about "Star Wars" that they're willing to make a movie
built around the hype surrounding its crappiest installment into a hit?Official Site: N/A

The Pitch: Geeky high school seniors tryin' to get
laid. Yeah, baby, it's 1983 all over again!The Buzz: ...And 1983 was pretty cool, wasn't it? This
looks like another winner from the "Talladega Nights" / "40
Year-Old Virgin" crew, and boasts a typically understated performance
from Cera (George Michael of "Arrested Development").Trailer Highlight: Lots of laughs in here, but the
slo-mo replays of "McLovin" getting punched in the face by
a convenience store robber are as good a top choice as any.Bottom Line: See it.Official Site: http://www.areyousuperbad.com/

The Pitch: Ten-year-old Charlie Kagan spurns a goth
chick during a game of spin the bottle, and she curses him for it. Now
all grown up (and played by Dane Cook), Charlie discovers that the curse
is real -- and that every woman he sleeps with will find her true love
with the next guy she dates. In the short term, naturally, this makes
Charlie's love life pretty interesting -- but when he meets Cam (Alba),
he frantically sets about breaking the curse.The Buzz: The Dane Cook backlash is in full effect,
and Cook has thus far proven himself less than adept at choosing scripts,
but this looks relatively funny -- and it's got Alba in full-on righteous
babe mode, too.Trailer Highlight: "I'm gonna ride you 'til you
die!" Bottom Line: Even if you hate Dane Cook with the white-hot
intensity of a thousand suns, Alba's presence will make this one tough
to miss.Official Site: http://lionsgate.com/goodluckchuck/

The Pitch: The Weinsteins give Rob Zombie the keys
to the "Halloween" franchise.The Buzz: Not many details yet, but Zombie promises
an "entirely new" take on the Michael Myers saga, and one
that won't copy previous installments. Fans of "Halloween III:
Season of the Witch," expect to be disappointed yet again.Trailer Highlight: Surprise! The whole thing looks
pretty goddamn spooky.Bottom Line: Nothing Zombie has done up 'til now would
seem to suggest he'd be the right man for this job...but if the movie's
as good as the trailer...Official Site: N/A